What to you need to know if you're in Quebec City during the G7 summit
From school closures to protests to cures for tear gas, here are some tips to get you through the coming days
World leaders and hundreds of internationaldelegates are about to arrivein Quebec for the G7 summit, which opens on Friday in La Malbaie.
While the actual meetings will take placemore than 140 kilometres from Quebec City, the mainprotestsare expected to unfold in the streets of the provincial capital.
Here are some survival tips forthe nextfew busy days.
What will stay open in Quebec City?
Most municipal and public services willnot be affected during the summit, including:
- City Hall.
- Libraries.
- Public transit.
- Wasteremoval.
- Hospitals, clinics.
If the situation changes and officials decide to close any buildings or cancel services, they will inform citizenson the city's website. Public health officials will also post updated information about any closures here.
What is closed?
- Quebec's National Assembly (Thursday and Friday).
- Several of the main government buildings downtown and in Old Quebec(Thursday and Friday).
- Several public and private daycares in Old Quebec (Thursday and Friday).
- Quebec City municipal court(Monday to Friday).
Certain elementary and high schools will also be closed, including:
- Quebec High School.
- St. Patrick's High School.
- Collge Franois-de-Laval.
- cole Saint-Jean-Baptiste.
- cole des Berges.
- coleAnne-Hbert.
- coleJoseph-Franois-Perrault.
- cole Cardinal-Roy.
- Centre Louis-Jolliet.
In the Quebec City borough ofBeauport,the following places will also be closed Friday:
- Centre d'ducation des adultes (btiment du Nouvel-Horizon).
- cole secondaire Acadmie Sainte-Marie.
- cole primaire de l'Harmonie.
- cole primaire de la Pliade.
What about businesses?
Several private corporations, including DesjardinsFinancial GroupandLa CapitaleInsurance, have decided to close their offices during the summit.
Small business owners in the downtown corecan choose to close their doors. If they do, however, they will be ineligible to make an insurance claim throughthe G7'scompensation programin the event that their property sustains any damage.
Merchants have also been warned to keep their doors closed and not to leave outside any sandwich boards or other signage, flower pots, or anything else that could be used as a projectile.
Several restaurants have closed their patios for the weekend.
The Fairmont Chteau Frontenac and its restaurants will be closed to visitors not staying at the hotel.
Where are protests planned?
Several civil society groups have planned protests over the weekend.
On Thursday:
- A march, organized by theRseaudersistanceanti-G7(RRAG7), will leavefrom the Parc des Braves in Old Quebecand gotoward Quebec City's Convention Centre.
Friday:
- A "Day of Disruption," also planned by the RRAG7,will begin in the morning in Quebec City'sBeauport neighbourhood, five kilometres east of downtown.
Saturday:
- The Coalition pour un forum alternatifau G7 is organizing a full 12 hoursof activities and an alternative forum, beginning at noon at the Fontaine de Tourny, in front of Quebec's National Assembly.
- Amarch will depart from the Fontaine de Tourny,at 3 p.m.
What to do if you are affected by tear gas?
Tear gas is not toxic, but it may cause aburning feeling in your eyes, nose and mouth, skin irritation, and difficulty breathing, among other consequences.
If police use tear gas, people participating in the protests, and others who live nearby and are exposed to the gas, may be affected.
Public health authorities recommend:
- Distance yourself from the crowd.
- Don't crouch, asthe gas is heavier than air and settles to the ground.
- Don't touch your eyes.
- Don't rinse your eyes with water, as this can worsen the effects of the gas.
- Take off all contaminated clothing, place them in a closed plastic bag, and wash them in cold water.
- Keep your windows closed if you smell the gas in the air;only reopen them once the gas has dissipated.
- If your symptoms do not subside, contact Quebec's anti-poison hotline at 1-800-463-5060.
How to follow CBC's coverage of the G7
CBCreporters will be on the ground in Quebec City and La Malbaiefrom Thursday to Sunday.
Follow all the latest developments atcbc.ca/montreal,and on CBCRadio One and CBCTelevision.